"If there's a lesson in Elite for modern developers, it's this--don't baby the player. A babied player doesn't grow up. A "challenge" fails to interest him; it becomes just an annoyance to be bypassed by a cheat-code. Make the player work to overcome a challenge from the get-go, and it's an investment. Make the player realize, "Uh oh, this isn't going to be easy." Of course, and I know, there are players who will immediately stop playing at that point. I say, have the integrity to let them go. Catering to this type of person will only ruin your game, and, in all sincerity, reduce the value your original game had to offer."